To George Bentham   1 January 1869

Newyearsday 1869

In presenting to you, dear Mr Bentham, late as it will come to you my newyears gratulation in all cordiality, I trust, that the year coming & those following may bring you again your health unimpaired, and permit you with the same devoted zeal to further through your great abilities and knowledge the cause of science as in years now passed by. I have to thank you sincerely for the last proof sheets full of interesting information and for the generous concessions therein made to me.¹ By the Ship Dover Castle I have forwarded in the earlier part of last month two cases with Proteaceae again, Hakeas & Persoonias chiefly, while now an other case is ready for the Wellesley, to be sent off this week. This contains the rest of Amarantaceae, and Isopogon & Petrophila, besides some small genera. I have then still to forward Banksia and Dryandra most Salsolaceae as well as all the Thymeleae, consequently at least two large boxes full more of Monochlamydeae, the whole of which thus will be 11 boxes.

Let this however not frighten you; for not only will you find your own work in most cases by a thorough preliminary examination of the plants rendered easy,² but also you will find, that the Proteaceae give little trouble in analysis as their characteristics are readily apparent. Besides they are so bulky, that a large box full of them gives not half as much trouble as a small one of most other kinds of plants. In respect to these Monochlamydeae I have still to remark, that Trichinium cannot be kept apart generically from Ptilotus, as already foreshadowed by Poiret;³ but I was wrong in my impression, when I believed that Isopogon had to be joined to Petrophila. RBrown has given not all the characters, on which these two genera differ with full clearness, and Meissner has rendered their characteristic still more obscure.⁴ I trust you will find the new generic characters contrasted by me acceptable. I spent the holidays on the careful examination of the latter plants.⁵

The missing proof sheet of the volume I have to the best of my recollection received in duplo, but not thinking it would be required I sent it to Mr Woolls.⁶ If you think it worth while I will ask him to return it.

Always your very regardful

Ferd. von Mueller.

I am glad Prof Alex Braun reexamined so carefully the Australian species of Isoetes.⁷ It is so much gain for the cryptogamic volume.

Does Buckinghamia infringe on the supposed constant character of Grevillea: 2 ovules?

Amarantaceae

Banksia

Buckinghamia

Dryandra

Grevillea

Isoetes

Isopogon

Isopogon

Monochlamydeae

Petrophila

Petrophila

Ptilotus

Salsolaceae

Thymeleae

Trichinium